Increased
applications for fall

Numbers
up

The university-wide
focus on recruitment is apparently paying off. Applications for
admission to Memorial for the 2000 fall semester are up almost
10 per cent.

Its
really good news for us, said Registrar Glenn Collins.
Of course, we have to see the applications translate to
acceptances and then to registrations, but if those numbers follow
patterns of earlier years, we will see our recruitment effort
paying off in September.

Staff at
the registrars office have been carefully tracking the
application numbers, comparing numbers on a weekly, or even more
frequent basis.

The trend
that was first observed directly after the formal March 1 application
deadline has continued. The number of students expressing an
interest in attending Memorial as new students, or enrolling
as returning students after an absence, is up in just about every
category. Overall applications to the university have increased
9.5 per cent.

Particularly
high are the numbers for Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, where
as of March 31, 75 more students had applied compared to the
same date last year, representing an increase of 15.6 per cent.

If
(the numbers) hold, well want very much to understand the
improvement, he said. At this point, the assumption
is that the increases owe themselves to increased activity, increased
communications with the public  advertising, public consultations,
the presidents extensive travel: all enhance the perception
(in the province) as our university.

He pointed
to the Grenfell applications as being of particular interest,
noting, Weve located a recruitment officer there
now, and it seems to be improving the numbers.

Both Dr.
Simpson and Mr. Collins are intrigued by the number of students
interested in transferring from the public college system.

Some
of the most interesting numbers, said Dr. Simpson, are
from the College of the North Atlantic. There has been a trend
in the last three, possibly four, years, showing a steady and
significant increase, which bears analysis.

Of course,
getting the applications is just one step of the universitys
relationship with students.

From here,
students have to register  and then be helped and encouraged
to stay at Memorial to complete their degree programs.

Mr. Collins
gave the Gazette a summary of all the communications students
get from the university after applying and before the first day
of classes. All letters have been rewritten in the past couple
of years to be more welcoming and less formal.

And Dr. Simpson
re-emphasized the universitys commitment to student retention.

As
more people show up, the more we have to remind ourselves that
the transition to university can be difficult, especially for
those from outside urban centres, he noted, adding that
helping students has to be a focus of every staff and faculty
member.